Ahlat Selçuklu Mezarlığı is, as the locals will proudly tell you, the largest Islamic cemetery in Turkey and the fourth-largest in the world. Sandwiched between Lake Van to the south, Mount Suphan to the east, and Mount Nemrut towering to the west, the setting is stunning. But the decorated gravestones are the real attraction; standing an average of six feet (two meters) tall and carved from red basalt, they have a small protrusion at the top unknown in Western gravestones. The rust-colored stone is the perfect material for the carved ornate figurations, homages to the deceased, and verses from the Quran.
An ancient settlement with roots dating back at least 4,000 years, Ahlat has seen many shifts in power, oscillating between Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Armenian, Arab, and Ottoman rulers. When the Great Seljuk Empire came to power in this region of Anatolia in the 11th century, they put their stamp on local architecture.
There are also two tombs within walking distance and several others in the town of Ahlat, small structures built between the 13th and 16th centuries, each with its own intriguing architecture. Emir Bayındır Tomb, dating from 1481 and visible from the cemetery, is architecturally the most interesting and the symbol of the township. There are many other Seljuk cemeteries ringing Lake Van, but the one in Ahlat is by far the most picturesque.
